Fabric trimming and thread laying mechanism for sewing machines



Oct. 31, 1933. F. F. ZEIER ET AL FABRIC TRIMMING AND THREAD LAYING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed April 10, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 31, 1933. F ET AL 1,933,038

FABRIC TRIMMING AND THREAD LAYING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed April 10, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 film Oct. 31, F F Z ER ET AL FABRIC TRIMMING AND THREAD LAYING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed April 10, 1931 4 SheetsS heet 3 a 29 (93 9 I 75 I 9% a5 6.

J2 W J5 Oct. 31, 1933. F. F. ZEIE R ET AL 1,933,038

FABRIC TRIMMING AND THREAD LAYING MECHANISM FUR SEWING MACHINES Filed April 10, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Oct. 31, 1933 FABRIC TRIMMING AND THREAD LAYING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Frederick F. Zeier, Chicago, and August H. Stieg, Des Plaines, Ill., assignors to Union Special Machine Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application April 10, 1931. Serial No. 529,244

11 Claims. (Cl. 112-422) The invention relates to new and useful improvements in sewing machines, and more particularly to a sewing machine provided with means for trimming the upturned edge portions of fabric sections and subsequently joining and covering the edge portions by stitching the threads.

An object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above type having a presser foot for directing the upturned edge portions, which presser foot supports the stationary member of horizontally disposed trimming devices with a single bracket having means adapted to engage the shank portion of the presser foot for positively holding said presser foot against any turning movement axially of the supporting bar there-' for in either direction during the trimming of the fabric sections.

A; furtherobject of the invention is to provide a machine of the above type, wherein the movabletrimming device and the thread laying members are actuated from a sleeve surrounding the presser bar, with means extending throughout a considerable length of the actuating sleeve for supporting the same, whereby any clamping or binding action is prevented during the actuation of said sleeve.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed. 1

In the drawings, which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention:-

Figure l is a view of a portion of a machine embodying the improvements, the view being taken from the side of the needle head.

Figure 2 is a View showing the needle head and supporting member therefor in vertical section.

Figure 3is an enlarged side view of thepresser foot and the parts associated therewith.

Figure 4- is a plan view of the parts shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 3, also showing in section the bracket associated with the presser foot and maintaining the parts in alinement.

Figure 6' is a perspective view of the bracket carried by the lower end of the needle head operating to hold the presser foot from lateral movement on its supporting bar.

The invention includes a sewing machine having trimming devices disposed for relative movemen in a horizontal plane for trimming the upturned edge portions of fabric sections which are to be joined and covered by stitching. The machine is also provided with a presser foot having portion of the upper horizontal member'3. There are'other bolts of a similar character, and thus a channel or guiding slot leading from the forward end thereof past thetrimming devices for directing the upturned edge portions, and for downfolding their edge portions after they are finger carried by the-work support which aidsin directing the edge portions to the trimmer andfor turning down the edge portions. The machineincludes also a plurality of needles, preferably three, so that the edge portions, after they are trimmed and turned down in lapped relation, will be penetrated by the center needle while theouter needles pass outside of the cut edges. The machinealso includes a cover thread laying'mechanism for laying a cover thread so that it will be 7 stitched to the febricsections and will cover the raw edge of the material on the upper face of the fabric as well as join the outer rows of needle thread loops. The particular new feature of the present invention is in the means for supporting and operating the movable trimming blade and the cover thread laying devices, and also in the manner of supporting. the presser foot so as to prevent said presser foot from lateral movement during the trimming operation and also during thelaying of the covering thread.

Referring morein detail to the drawings, the invention is shown as applied to a sewing machine having a supporting standard 1 carrying a bracket 2 at the upper outer edge of which is .mounted a horizontal member 3, in which the it is that the needle head is firmly but removably attached to the main supporting frame of the machine- The upper horizontal member 3 carriesia'depending member 10 at the lower end of which is suspended a work arm 11. The outer end 12 of the work arm terminates beneath the needle head 5. This machine frame referred to above is of the character shown and described in the patent granted to Norman V. Christensen and Harold J. LeVesconte December 24, 1929, No. 1,741,095.

Mounted in the needle head is a needle bar 13 carrying three needles 14, 15 and 16. The needle bar is reciprocated by means of a needle lever 17 'jecting lug 38.

mounted on a shaft 18 carried by the horizontal member 3. This needle lever is connected by a link 19 to a lug 20 which is fixed to a sleeve carried by the needle bar. The shaft 4 is provided with a crank 21 with which a link 22 cooperates. This link is connected to a ball stud 23at its outer end, which ball 'stud is carried by the needle lever 17. As the main shaft rotates the needle bar will be reciprocated by the oscillations of the needle lever 17.

Cooperating with the needle beneath the work support is a series of loopers, one for each needle. One of these loopers is indicated at 24. The looper mechanism and the parts directly associated therewith form no. part of the present in-i vention, but are shown, described and claimed in co-pending application serial No. 529,241, filed April 10, 1931, by Frederick F. Zeier.

The material is supported on the work arm 11.

thatthe machine is particularly adapted for stitching and joining the edge portions of knitted fabrics. The material is held on the work support by a presser foot Z'Twhich is carried by a presser bar 28. operating sleeve 29 which oscillates the trimmer and the cover thread laying mechanism. 'This The presser bar 28 carries an operating sleeve 29 is mounted in a fixed sleeve bearing 30 carried by'the needle thread. This sleeve bearing 30 forms one of the supporting bearings for the presser bar. At the upper end of the presser bar is mounted a sleeve bearing 31 carried by the upper frame member of the needle head 5; Fixed to the presser bar above the opcrating sleeve 29 is a collar 32.

secured to the presser bar by screws 33, 33. The

Said collar is collar is provided with projecting arms 34 and 35.

These arms are preferably formed integral with i the sleeve. The arms straddle a guide bar 36 which is mounted in the upper member of the needlehead 5. Said guide bar. hashthe sides thereof slabbed or flattened as'indicated. at'37 'and'the arms bear respectively upon thefiattened .side portions which are at the opposite sides of the guide bar 36. This provides'one way of holding the presser bar from turning in its bearings, and at the same time permitting'the presser bar to be raised and lowered in its bearings.

This same collar 32 carries a rearwardly' pro- A fiat leaf spring 39 bears on this lug and serves as a means for yieldingly forcing the presser bar downward and the presser foot against the material on the work support. The presser bar may be raised at will through the aid of a rock lever 39 which is provided with an arm 40 extending underneath the rounded lower face of the lug 38. A link 41 is pivoted at 42 to this rock lever 39, and when thislink is pulled upon the presser foot will be raised.

As a further means for preventing the presser bar from turning in its bearings a bracket 43 is provided, which is attached to the underface of the needle head by bolts 44, 44-passing through .a supporting base member 45 with which the bracket 43 is integrally formed. Said bracket has a flat guide face 46 and also an arm 47 which pro- Jects forwardly. and is provided with a second fiat bearing face 48. The presser foot includes a shank portion 49. The shank portion 49 carries an integral sleeve portion 50 which receives the lower end of the presser bar 28. A set screw 51 serves as a means for attaching the shank of the presser foot to the presser bar. The shank of the presser foot carries a rearwardly projecting arm 52' which engages the flat face 46 of the bracket 43. The shank of the presser foot is also provided with a laterally projecting portion 53 in front of the presser bar which bears against the flat portion 48 of the bracket 43. The shank of the presser foot, although it makes engagement with this bracket 43 and is prevented thereby from any oscillations or turning movements on or with the presser bar, nevertheless is ee to move vertically maintaining its contact with this bracket 43. From the above it will be apparent that the presser foot will be held from any turning movements and in alinement with the feed and stitching mechanism, not only by the guide bar 36 with which the guide arms 34 and. 35 cooperate, but also by this bracket 43 which has a two point contact with the presser foot shank, one in front of the presser bar and the other in the rear thereof. The arm 52 with its contact with the fiat face 46 prevents the presser foot from any clockwise movements about the axis of the presser bar, and the laterally projecting portion 53 of the presser foot through its contact with the fiat face 48 prevents any countcr-clockwise turning movements of the shank of the presser foot about the axis of the presser bar.

It will be noted that this bracket 43 which engages the shank of the presser foot and prevents any turning movements thereof, is mounted on the under face of the needle head; therefore, it does not, in any way, obstruct the handling of the material which is being stitched. Further more, the openings 44 in the bracket 43 through which the bolts 44 pass, are of larger diameter than the shanks of the bolts. This permits the bracket to be shifted laterally and secured in the desired position in order to properly aline the presser foot with the feed and stitching ele-- ments. The two arms which engage the presser foot shank are integrally formed with the one single bracket structure, and are, therefore,

' rigidly fixed in a predetermined position relative to each other. When one is shifted by a movement of the bracket, the other is likewise shifted, and therefore, for all shifted or set positions of the bracket, the arms will be properly positioned to make contact with the presser foot shank and prevent movement-s thereof in either direction.

Furthermore, the bolt holes through the bracket are so timed that the bracket may be given a shift in any direction in order to take up wear between either of the arms carried thereby and the portion of the presser foot with which it cooperates.

The presser foot 27 is provided with a channel projecting finger 57 which overlies the stationary trimming blade. 58 which extends into the channel 54 and aids in directing the edge portions in an upturned position for trimming, and also aids in the turning down of the edge portions after they are trimmed.

On the work support is a rib This rib may be retracted to allow a cross seam to pass beneath the presser foot. Thezpresser foot in many of its details is similar to thatshown, described and claimed in the application of Riviere and Rubel, filed September 12, 1928, Serial No. 395,485. The presser foot containsyielding devices for engaging. the fabric sections being stitched. The construction of the foot portion of the presser foot forms no part of the present invention, but is shown, described and claimed in a co-pending application Serial No. 539,350; filed April 15, 1981, by C. Rubel. It may be. stated briefly that these yielding devices include a flat rigid member 59 carried by posts 60, 61. The post 61 carries a cross lnniting bar 62. This post is placed in a slot 63 in the presser foot. The post 69 extends up through thefoot and a fiat spring 64- bears thereon yieldingly forcing the said foot portion downward. A spring 65 bears on the front end of the upturned portion of the rigid member 59. There is a second, member 66 which is similar in construction to the member 59, and this member is carried by posts, one of which is shown at 67, which is likewise provided with a cross bar 62 and a spring 68 bearing o-nthe extreme forward end of the member. 66 yieldingly forces the member downwardly. There is asimilar post at the rear of the member 66 and a leaf spring bears thereon to yieldingly force the same downward. The post 67 is mounted in a slot 69 in the presser foot. In the rear of the members 59 and 66, which canyield independently and simultaneously, is a yielding member '70 carried by a shank portion extending upwardly into the shank of the presser foot. A spring housed within the shank normally forces this member '70 in a downward direction.

The trimming blade 55 is mounted in the presser foot and is held in place by a clamping screw 71. The movable trimming blade 56 is clamped to an arm 72 by screws 73, 73. The arm 72 extends rearwardly and upwardly and is formed as an integral part of the collar member '74. collar member '74 is rigidly clamped to the lower end of the operating sleeve 29. A bolt 75 passing through arms of this collar member it serves as a means for clamping the same to the sleeve 29. The operating sleeve 29 above the bearing sleeve 30 carries acollar '76. Said collar '76 is clamped to the sleeve bymeans of a screw 7"]. Said collar carries a rearwardly projecting. arm in which a ball stud 78'is secured. Attached to the ball stud '78 is an eccentric strap 79 which cooperates with an eccentric 80 on the main actuating shaft 4; Thus it is that the operating sleeve 29 is oscillated and imparts through the arm 72, supporting the movable trimming blade 56, oscillations to said trimming blade. The cover thread for covering the upper face of the fabric sections between the lines of s-Litching is directed to a cover thread guiding. member 81. There is an eye 82 at the outer end of this member through which the covering thread passes. This member 81 is carried by the shaft 83 mounted for oscillation in a bearing sleeve formed as an integral part of a presser foot shank &9. This sleeve is located very close to the laterally projecting portions carrying the. smooth face 53, with which the arm 47 of the bracket 43 makes contact. The shaft 83 at its upper end carries an arm 84 to which a link 85 is pivo'ed at 86. An arm 87 is pivoted at 88 to this link 85. The arm 87 is secured to the upper end of a shaft 89 mounted for oscillations in a sleeve bearing 90 formed as a part of the presser foot shank 49.

Said arm 8'7 has a laterally projecting portion 91 to which a link 92 is pivoted at 93. The other end of this link is pivoted at 94 to an arm 95 formed as a rigid part of the operating sleeve 29; The sleeve 29 extends. all the way down to theupper face of the. shank of thepresser foot, while the presser bar 28 extends down through the sleeve into the shank of the presser. foot and is secured therein by thesetscrew 51. When the operating sleeve 29 .is oscillated it will, through the arm 95, impart oscillations to the arm 87, and the arm 87 through the link 85 will in turn impart oscillations iothe cover thread guiding mechanism 8'1. r

Associated with thecover threadguide 81, which has a movement substantially parallel with the line of feed, there is a cover thread laying hook indicated at v96 which. engages the cover thread and formsit into a loop. Thisxcover thread laying hook is secured to thelower end of the shaft 89 so that when the shaft 89 oscillates thehook will oscillate, and it moves in a direction approaching a line at right angles to the line offered. This cover thread laying mechanism, so far as the iayingof the threads is concerned, operates in the. usual ,manner, and further description thereof is not-thought necessary. The particular feature of the present invention resides in the'devices which operate the cover thread guide and the hook member; above described. These parts are oscillated from a single connection to the .operating'sleeve to be raised and lowered with the raising and lowering of the presser foot. The presser foot shank ismounted so that the shearing strain of the horizontally moving trimming blade is'resisted not only by the arms 34 and 35, at the upper. end ofthe presser bar, but also by the arm 52 which is a rigid part of the shank of the presser foot. .Thejpresser bar is comparatively small in diameter and is subject to torsional twisting to a slight extent, 'but;the rigid arm attached to the shank of the presser foot and cooperating. with the bracket rigidly fixed to the lower end of the needle head prevents any possible lateral movement of the presser foot about the axis of the presserbar. The bearing of the presser foot shank'against the arm on the bracket prevents. any possible lateral or turning movements of the foot about the axis of the presser bar.

The bearing of the presser foot. shank against the arm carried by the bracket prevents any possible turning or lateral movements of the presser foot around the axis of the presser bar in a counter clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 4. The vibrations and strains incident to theoscillation of the trimming blade and the oscillation of the cover thread guide and thread laying hool;

- do. not in any way disturb the alinement of the presser foot relative to the needle and the stitching mechanism. In this type of machine where the presser foot has a channel for directing the upturned edge porions oi the fabric sections to ldo feed. This is accomplished by the devices above described.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and the arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is: I

1. In a sewing machine the combination of a needle head, a presser foot having a guiding means for directing the upturned edge portions of fabric sections, a presser bar mounted in said needle head and carrying the presser foot, horizontally disposed trimming devices including a stationary member mounted on said presser foot, cross thread laying mechanism, a collar attached to the presser bar and carrying spaced arms, a fixed post with which said arms make sliding contact for guiding the presser bar in its up and down movements, and means carried by the needle head and engaging the presser foot at spaced points for holding the presser foot from turning on the presser bar and the presser bar from turning in either direction while permitting said presser foot to move up and down with said presser bar.

2. In a sewing machine the combination of a needle head, a presser foot having a guiding means for directing the upturned edge portions of fabric sections, a presser bar mounted in said needle head and carrying the presser foot, horizontally disposed trimming devices including a stationary member mounted on said presser foot, cross thread laying mechanism, a collar attached to the presser bar and carrying spaced arms, a fixed post with which said spaced arms make sliding contact for guiding the presser bar in its up and down movements, a bracket rigidly attached to the under face of said needle head and having devices for engaging the shank of the presser foot in front of and in rear of the presser bar for preventing said presser foot from turning in either direction during the trimming operation.

3. In a sewing machine the combination of a needle head, a presser foot having a' guiding means for directing the upturned edge portions of fabric sections, a presser bar mounted in said needle head and carrying the presser foot, horizontally disposed trimming devices including a stationary member mounted on said presser foot, cross thread laying mechanism, and means carried by the needle head and engaging the presser foot in front of and in rear of the presser bar for holding said presser foot from turning in either direction about the axis of the presser bar during the trimming operation.

4. In a sewing machine the combination of a needle head, a presser foot having a guiding means for directing the upturned edge portions of fabric sections, a'presser bar mounted in said needle head and carrying the presser foot, horizontally disposed trimming devices including a stationary member mounted on said presser foot, cross thread laying mechanism, a bracket rigidly attached to the needle head and having an arm contacting with the presser foot in front of the presser bar, said presser foot having an arm contacting with said bracket in rear of the presser bar. I

5. In a sewing machine the combination of a needle head, a presser foot having a guiding means for directing the upturned edge portions of fabric sections, a presser bar mounted in said needle head and carrying the presser foot, horizontally disposed trimming devices including a stationary member mounted on said presser foot, cross thread laying mechanism, a bracket bolted to the under face of the needle head and depending therefrom, said bracket having a forwardly projecting arm provided with a fiat vertical face adapted to engage the shank of the presser foot in front of the presser bar, and an arm carried by the shank of the presser foot and having a fiat face adapted to engage said bracket in rear of the presser bar whereby said presser bar is held from turning movement while permitted to freely move vertically.

6. In a sewing machine, the combination of a needle head, a presser foot, horizontally disposed trimming devices including a stationary member mounted on the presser foot, a bracket depending from said needle head and having a free sliding contact with the presser foot in front of the presser bar, and means carried by the presser foot bar having a free vertical sliding contact with said bracket in rear of the presser bar.

'7. In a sewing machine, the combination of a needle head, a presser foot, horizontally disposed trimming devices including a stationary member mounted on the presser foot, a bracket rigidly bolted to the under face of the needle head and projecting downwardly therefrom, said bracket having a forwardly projecting arm provided with a fiat vertical face adapted to engage a flat face on the presser foot, said presser foot having a rearwardly projecting arm provided with a flat face adapted to engage a flat vertical face on the bracket, said fiat faces on the bracket and the presser foot being disposed so as to prevent the presser foot from turning about the axis of the presser bar in either direction while permitting said presser foot to freely move vertically.

8. In a sewing machine the combination of a needle head, a presser foot having a guiding means for directing the upturned edge portions of fabric sections, a presser bar mounted in said needle head and carrying the presser foot, horizontally disposed trimming devices including a stationary member mounted on the presser foot,

. an actuating sleeve surrounding the presser bar and extending from a point within the needle head to a point below'the needle head, an arm clamped to the sleeve below the needle head, a

-movable trimming member carried thereby, an

arm attached to the sleeve at the upper end thereof and within the needle head for actuating the sleeve, a bearing sleeve carried by the needle head in which the actuating sleeve is mounted for oscillation, said bearing sleeve projecting into the needle head and below the needle head and extending throughout the greater portion of the length-of the actuating sleeve between said actuating arm and the arm at the lower end of the sleeve which actuates the trimming member.

'9. In a sewing machine the combination of a needle head, a presser foot having a guiding means for directing'the upturned edge portions of fabric sections, a presser bar mounted in said needle head and carrying the presser foot, horizontally disposed trimming devices including a stationary member mounted on the presser foot, an actuating sleeve surrounding the presser bar and extending from a point within the needle head to a point below the needle head, an arm clamped to the sleeve below the needle head, a movable trimming member carried thereby, an arm attached to the sleeve at the upper end thereof and within the needle head for actuating the sleeve, a bearing sleeve carried by the needle head in which the actuating sleeve is mounted for oscillation, said bearing sleeve projecting into the needle head and below the needle head and extending throughout the greater portion of the length of the actuating sleeve between said actuating arm and the arm at the lower end of the sleeve which actuates the trimming member,

thread laying devices supported by the presser foot, and means carried at the lower end of said actuating sleeve for imparting oscillating movements to the thread laying devices.

10. In a sewing machine, the combination of a needle head, a presser foot, horizontally disposed trimming devices including a stationary member mounted on the presser foot, a bracket secured to the lower face of the needle head and engaging the presser foot at spaced points for holding said foot from turning about the axis of the presser bar in either direction during the trimming operation, and means for securing said bracket to said needle head whereby it may be shifted laterally to different set positions.

11. In a sewing machine, the combination of a needle head, a presser foot, horizontally disposed trimming devices including a stationary member mounted on the presser foot, a bracket secured to the lower face of the needle head and engaging the presser foot at spaced points for holding said foot from turning about the axis of the presser bar in eitherdirection during the trimming operation, said bracket having bolt holes therethrough, bolts passing through said holes and threaded in said needle head, said bolt holes being so proportioned relative to the bolts as to permit said bracket to be shifted in any direction for taking up wear and for alining the pressure foot with the feeding and stitching elements.

FREDERICK F. ZEIER. AUGUST H. STIEG. 

